Stormcatcher (12 page)

“You have to keep this quiet,” Simon warned.

“No problem. I’ll only tell Skye.”

“I won’t say anything,” Christy promised. Her voice vibrated with excitement. “But would someone explain why this is so exciting?”

“It could prove Vikings were really here before Columbus,” Jake said. “There have been other artifacts found, but they’ve all been questionable in some way—either outright hoaxes or items that could be explained in another way. This could change what we know about how far the Viking longboats could travel.”

“When do we start?” Christy chirped brightly.

“Tomorrow at eight,” Simon said. He could hardly wait.

D
inner was over, and night had settled in. “We should go out on the lake tonight and look for the northern lights,” Wynne said. “They’re supposed to be really great this week. Clear skies and great visibility.”

“I want to go,” Molly said, taking her father’s hand.

Max looked worried. “I’d planned to write for a while tonight.”

Becca sighed. “You’re always writing.”

“I know. My deadline is in three days though. I’ll make it up to you,” Max promised.

“There’s no reason the two of you can’t go,” Becca said. Her eyes gleamed.

Wynne knew what her sister was thinking. She started to refuse but Simon was nodding his head. “We might as well. You game, Wynne?”

“Sure.” The word popped out of her mouth before she could stop it.

“Can I go?” Molly asked hopefully.

“If your mom says it’s okay.” Wynne tried to signal with her eyes to let her sister know it would be good to have Molly along.

“It would be awfully late for you,” Becca said. “I doubt you could stay awake that long.”

“Please, Mom.” Molly grabbed Becca’s hand and gave her a soulful look.

She’d called Becca “Mom” since the wedding. Her own mother had died when she was small, and she’d loved Becca from the first day she arrived at the manor. It did Wynne’s heart good to see her sister so happily ensconced in the island life.

“She can take her sleeping bag. If she gets tired, she can crawl in there,” Simon said.

Wynne wondered if he was as uncomfortable as she at the thought of being alone under the stars. They spent a lot of time underwater alone, but it was hardly the same thing.

They’d been moving closer, then pulling apart for days now. It was getting to be uncomfortable, and Wynne didn’t know what to expect, or even what she wanted.

“You’re sure?” Max asked.

“We’d love to have her along,” Wynne assured him. She could only hope Simon didn’t sense how much. At least with Molly along, she could keep her growing feelings from showing. The child would be a great distraction.

“Yay!” Molly danced around the living room.

“Go get a jacket and your sleeping bag,” Becca told her. “And brush your teeth before you go.”

Molly raced out of the room and up the staircase. “I’d better get a jacket, too,” Wynne said. She hurried to her room and went to the bathroom off her suite. Looking in the mirror she nearly groaned. Gram had tried to tame the wild locks, but tiny wisps of hair had escaped and stuck up all over her head. New freckles mocked her from their position on her nose, and it was peeling from the sun as well.

Good thing it would be dark. She glanced at her watch. If she was fast, she could take a shower. She turned on the hot water and raced through lathering her hair and body. She threw on clean jeans and a red top, then put on a touch of makeup and braided her wet hair. Twenty minutes later, she grabbed a jacket and flew down the steps.

Her gaze met Becca’s, and Wynne saw the smirk on her sister’s face. She narrowed her eyes at Becca in warning. Her sister clamped her mouth shut and looked away. Wynne hurried to ward off her sister’s giggles.

“All ready,” she said. “I still had dirt in my hair so I took a quick shower.” She prayed Simon wouldn’t realize she wanted to look nice for him. She was as bad as the other women who mooned over him. Self-disgust made her smile stiff as she took Molly’s hand and followed Simon outside.

She didn’t want to go. Simon could tell by the fake smile on her face. His earlier anticipation faded. Oh well, they could just go out for a little while and he could plead fatigue and bring them back before Wynne made it any more clear she wasn’t interested in
spending time with him if it didn’t pertain to her research.

Molly chattered all the way to the dock, but neither of the adults said much beyond answering her in monosyllables. As they neared the waterfront, he saw flashing lights and people swarming the pier.

“What is it—what’s wrong?” Wynne leaned forward in her seat.

Simon saw a glow of red. “Fire!” He gunned the engine and drove down the hill to the dock. There was a sour taste in his mouth. Even before he got close enough to tell for sure, he knew his yacht was on fire.

He was right.

Adrenaline surged as the engine exploded on the boat and shot flames high into the air. He heard a fireman shout, “Get back!” The crowd surged toward the truck, and Simon had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting a pedestrian. He pulled off the road and slammed the gear into Park.

“Stay here,” he barked as he jumped out of the truck. He pushed through the throng of people and got as near his boat as he dared. He spotted Alan a few feet away. The man had a satisfied expression on his face.

Simon rushed toward him and grabbed him by the arm. “You did this!” He wanted to smash his fist into the man’s face.

Alan wrenched his arm free and held his hands out in front of him. “I had nothing to do with it. But it’s justice, don’t you think?”

Simon clenched his hands. “Someone set this. My yacht didn’t just burst into flames for no reason.” He felt a touch on his arm and whirled to see Wynne and Molly.

Wynne’s face was white. “I’m sorry, Simon,” she whispered.

All the fight left him, and his shoulders sagged. “Everything is gone. All my notes, my equipment.”

“I know.” She reached up and drew him to her shoulder as if he were a child.

Though she was tiny, barely reaching his chest, he managed to fold himself down into her embrace. He could smell the clean scent of her shampoo and the fragrance of her perfume. He wrapped his arms around her and reveled in her comfort. They fit together like they were made for each other.

The stray thought made him pull back. He’d never believed in the idea of the fates of two people being intertwined by God in that way, but Wynne was changing his mind. He dropped his arms and turned back to talk to Alan, but the man had disappeared.

Sheriff Rooney appeared from the middle of a group of firemen. His face grim, he saw Simon and came toward him.

Rooney nodded at Wynne, then his gaze settled on Simon. “Everyone okay, Lassiter?”

“Yeah, we’re okay.”

Rooney nodded. “I’ve been interrogating witnesses. No one saw anything.” He rubbed his chin. “I’m beginning to wonder if you should hire a bodyguard.”

Simon grimaced. “At least you’re not accusing me of arson. I’ll be okay. Just figure out who’s doing this.”

Rooney nodded. “I’m doing my best.” He wheeled around and went back to join his deputies.

Simon watched him go. “I think he’s disappointed he won’t have my company in jail.”

Wynne grinned. “You always look on the bright side.” Her smile faded. “What are we going to do?”

He shrugged. “I’ve got my pick of boats at the boatyard. What equipment do we need for the excavation?”

“Just shovels and five-gallon pails. Some old screens will work to sift the dirt.” She slapped her head. “Our GPS is gone. Can we find the site again?”

Simon nodded. “I’ve got the coordinates down in my notebook.” He patted his pocket. “Here it is.”

“Whew, good thinking.”

“I wasn’t taking any chances.” He glanced around. “I guess there will be no watching the Northern Lights tonight.”

“I’m tired anyway,” Wynne said. She glanced down at Molly. “And I think this young lady has had enough excitement for the night.”

“That was cool,” Molly said. “I’m sorry about your boat though, Simon.”

He ruffled her hair. “Me, too, muffin.” He sighed. “This might slow us down a few days.”

“Nope. You get the boat, and I’ll get the rest of the equipment. I’ll meet you at the dock at, say, ten?”

Simon’s hope surged back at the energy and confi
dence in Wynne’s voice. “We’re not letting whoever this is beat us.” He saw a familiar face and lifted his hand. “Brian, over here.”

His cousin rushed up to him. His face worked with emotion. “What happened, Simon?”

Simon shrugged. “Someone torched my boat. I’ll have to get another one.”

“You’re going on with it?” Brian looked panicked. “I lost my brother, and I don’t want to lose you, too, Simon. Let it go. The sheriff will figure out who did this. That’s his job.”

“I think we’re going to have to figure this out. We’re missing something,” Simon said. “I’ve found the Viking trail, and I’m not letting it get away. A storm could wash it all away. We have to strike now.”

Brian’s mouth gaped then he closed it and gulped. “You found Viking remains?” He shook his head. “I thought you were nuts. Can I help?”

“We can use all the help we can get.” He quickly explained about finding the Viking belt buckle.

“What about the steamer? Maybe we should move it to see what’s underneath.”

“It would help to get it out of the way,” Wynne put in. “We’ll be careful.”

“Count on me,” Brian declared. “We’re going to find who did this and bring them to justice.”

Simon hoped his cousin was right. It was hard to imagine how a murderer lurked behind familiar faces. And he still had to find a boat to use.

T
he tugboat bounced along the waves. Wynne couldn’t remember when she’d seen a sorrier piece of floating junk.

Simon noticed her glance around the helm and gave her a shamefaced grin. “It was the best I could do on short notice. We had one yacht done, but it didn’t have enough deck space to work. I begged this from a friend in town.”

“Beggars can’t be choosers.” She propped her bare feet on the dash. The red glint of her toenails in the sunshine pleased her. She rarely took the time to paint her nails, but she’d been restless last night after the destruction of the boat.

“You’ve got the smallest feet I’ve ever seen,” Simon said. “Did your parents bind them when you were a kid?” He grinned and turned the boat to head out to open water.

At least he said it in an admiring tone. Wynne
decided to forgive him for remarking on her size. “I used to think I must be adopted since I was so much smaller than Becca and Jake. Then my mom had me look in the mirror with her, and I could see I was a miniature version of her. I have no idea why I’m the shrimp of the family.”

“Maybe you didn’t drink your milk.”

She smiled, then her gaze traveled to Christy, Jake and Brian standing at the railing. Joe and Bjorn were at the helm. “At least we have more help today. I’m eager to get down there. You, me and Jake can do the diving and let the others sift through the mud and debris.”

“I wish we had time to do it all. They may make some of the better discoveries.” He glanced at the sieve with an envious expression.

“Sharing the glory is never fun, is it?” She put her feet back down and jiggled her knees.

“Are you nervous?”

“A little. I was just thinking about the destruction of the boat. Can we talk about Jerry and Amanda a bit? Who might have had a stake in needing to shut them up about something?”

“I’ve wracked my brain, and I’m not closer to figuring it out than I was three weeks ago.”

“Putting our heads together might help though. Tell me about Amanda. You said she embezzled money from you. How long had you known her? Did she grow up on the island?”

“Yeah, she grew up here. She’d worked for me for
about a month before we started dating. She made it clear she was interested, and I took the bait. I knew she loved nice things, but I was tired of being alone and easily swallowed the lie that she cared for me and not my bank account.”

There was such cynicism in his voice that she nearly winced. “You sound pessimistic about romance.”

He glanced at her. “Aren’t you the same? Failure tends to do that to a person.”

She decided not to answer that. Her own failures were better left unexamined. “When did you begin to suspect she wasn’t all she seemed?”

“Not until the other accountant rubbed my face in what she’d done. She was good at deception. Even when I confronted her, I thought she would have a good explanation and would beg for forgiveness.”

“She didn’t?”

He shook his head. “She basically said she never loved me.”

“Did she say why she took the money?” Wynne couldn’t figure out why Amanda would have been so stupid. A month later and everything Simon had would have been half hers.

The expression of pain that flashed over Simon’s face was quickly squelched. His knuckles turned white on the wheel. “I’d rather not talk about it,” he said.

Wynne’s cheeks stung as though she’d been slapped. “I see.”

He sighed. “That didn’t come out right.” He glanced back at the other three crew members. “I’d rather talk
when there’s no chance of being overheard,” he said softly. “How about dinner tonight?”

She studied his face for several long moments. “Is this a date?” She sucked in her breath as she waited for the answer. Her own temerity surprised her.

His eyes narrowed as he studied her face, then a hint of a smile tugged at his lips. “Yeah. You okay with that?”

“Maybe. It depends on if you’re willing to let go of the past.”

He turned his head and stared at her. “Are you?”

“I accepted, didn’t I?”

He grinned. “It’s like the blind leading the blind. We’re both no geniuses at relationships. But maybe we can learn together.”

The yearning expression in his eyes made her eyes prick with moisture. “Maybe,” she said softly as they headed for the water.

By the time the day had ended, they’d found enough artifacts to convince the most skeptical scientist of the validity of their find. The storm that had shifted the sediment on the bottom had tossed up so much loot she couldn’t believe it. Wynne nearly vibrated with excitement. She knew they had to keep it secret for now, but she longed to tell the world about the discovery.

But it was Simon’s baby. It had been his vision, his commitment that had brought them to this place. His drive and determination. Once she’d thought him a little obsessed, and now she realized it had been conviction and not obsession.

The rest of the crew walked slowly off toward the parking lot, their steps dragging from the hard day’s work. Wynne knew she should feel just as exhausted, but she was too wired to feel it.

Her stomach rumbled. “I heard that,” Simon said. “I’ve got an idea.” He opened the truck door for her then shut it behind her and pulled out his cell phone. She saw him talking as he walked around to his side of the vehicle.

“What was that all about?”

“You’ll see.” His smile was smug. “You deserve something nicer than Bob’s Eats tonight.”

“Surely you jest,” she said in mock horror. “What could be better than greasy hamburgers?”

“How about lobster with garlic, mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables that are still at the edge of crispness. And follow it all up with a chocolate dessert that I can’t even describe.”

Her mouth dropped. “And just where are we going to find a meal like that on Eagle Island? Unless you got down and kissed our housekeeper’s feet. Moxie might be able to whip up something like that. The chocolate dessert anyway.”

“Beep, wrong answer.” His grin widened as he turned onto the drive that led to the grassy airfield.

She lifted her brows as he stopped at the hangar. “What’s going on?”

“We’re flying into Marquette for dinner. There’s a wonderful seafood restaurant on the water.”

“But look at me,” she protested. “I’m in wet jeans,
my hair looks like Medusa’s, and I don’t have a stitch of makeup left.”

“You look beautiful to me,” he said, his glance sliding sideways to linger on her face.

Heat traveled up her neck to her cheeks. “I can’t go like this, Simon. I’ll be the laughingstock of the town.”

“Let me make one more call.” He turned away and dialed his cell phone again.

She tried to listen, but the wind snatched his soft words away. It was sweet of him to want to treat her, but she would be mortified to go into a restaurant looking like this. She glanced at her watch. It was only five o’clock. Maybe he’d give her an hour to run home and get cleaned up.

He dropped his phone back into his pocket as a beat-up truck pulled up to the hangar. “There’s our pilot.”

“I’ve got to go home and get changed,” she said firmly.

“It’s all taken care of at the other end,” he said. His fingers touched her elbow and guided her toward the runway.

She assumed they were headed for the small plane at the end of the runway, but instead Simon turned toward a helicopter to the right. “You’re kidding, right?” She’d always wanted to ride in a helicopter.

“Nope.” He helped her aboard.

She settled into the seat. “Simon, I need to change,” she wailed.

“I told you—it’s all taken care of. Let me spend a
little of my money in celebration. This is a big day—the biggest of my life so far.”

“I thought the sheriff told you not to leave the island.”

“He’ll never know. Besides, I think he’s figuring out that I’m not a murderer.”

The “bird” took off, and they landed in Marquette less than thirty minutes later. Wynne was fascinated by the ride and the sound of the
whup-whup
of the rotors. The pilot ducked out of the helicopter and came around to open the door.

Simon helped her out and led her toward a coach limousine. Wynne felt she was in some kind of dream. Or nightmare might be closer to how she felt. She thought the limo driver was sneering as he opened the door.

“Go ahead, we’ll wait out here while you change,” Simon said.

“What?” Wynne nearly shrieked the words. She peeked into the coach.

“There’s a shower in the bathroom. I called Becca and she said you wore a size two. There are three dresses to choose from and shoes in your size in the bathroom along with makeup.” He shrugged apologetically. “I’m not sure the colors are right but you can try them.”

“I can’t believe this.” She glared at him. “I warned you not to use the famous Lassiter charm on me.” She folded her arms across her chest and willed herself not to cry. If he was expecting her to fall at his feet in admiration, he was going to wait a long time.

He scowled. “I know my money doesn’t impress you, Wynne. But don’t spoil my fun tonight. We had a great coup today. We can’t announce it to the world yet, but we can celebrate. I couldn’t have done it without you. Let me spoil you just a little.”

She felt a stab of guilt. Maybe she had overreacted. There had been so much talk of how Amanda had been interested in his money, and she didn’t want to be lumped into the same category with Simon’s ex-fiancée. “Okay,” she said after a long pause. “But don’t try to turn my head after tonight.”

“I’m not trying to do that.” Simon’s fingers touched her chin. “I want to thank you. Is that so wrong?”

Maybe not, but the touch of his fingers on her face was affecting her breathing. “I’ll get changed,” she said abruptly.

All she could do was pray for God to help her keep her heart intact. She bolted for the coach limo and slammed the door behind her. The bathroom had every luxury. She quickly ducked under the showerhead. Drying her hair with the hair dryer that was mounted on the wall, she wrapped it in an elegant French twist.

She opened the closet door and found three dresses hanging on the rod. The price tags had been removed, foiling her original plan to choose the cheapest one. Touching the fabric of each, she knew no expense had been spared on the dresses. Black shoes in a size four sat on the floor.

The red dress caught her eye. It had a boatneck collar and shimmered with a subtle shine. She slipped
it over her head and turned to examine herself in the full-length mirror. She nearly didn’t recognize the woman staring back at her.

Perfect. It clung in all the right places and turned at the knee in a becoming flip. She thrust her feet into the shoes and went out to meet Simon.

Her heart pounded as she opened the door to the outside. Would he think she looked nice? Her palms were sweaty. She took a deep breath and stepped down to the grass.

Simon turned to meet her. His mouth dropped, and he looked dazed. “W-Wynne?” he stammered.

“I love the dress, Simon. Thank you,” she said, nearly breathless from the look on his face.

He stepped forward and touched her cheek. “All I can say is wow,” he said softly. “Am I forgiven yet?”

“I’ll think about it,” she said as he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. “As long as you feed me lobster.”

He escorted her back into the coach limo and sat her on the overstuffed leather sofa. “Something to drink?” he asked, turning toward the fully equipped bar.

“Sparkling water?”

“Got some right here.” He poured it over ice and handed it to her, then grabbed a soda for himself before joining her on the sofa.

She wanted to press the cold glass against her hot face. Never had she been so aware of a man. She realized she was falling for him quite hopelessly. He was everything she’d ever wanted in a man—kind,
strong, caring and, most importantly, a Christian. But his wealth bothered her. And she didn’t want to give up her dreams of fame in her field. She’d have to travel to do it.

She sat stiffly, then Simon slipped his arm across the back of the sofa. She sagged against him as his bulk shifted her weight. She started to pull away, but his embrace pulled her against his side.

He dropped a kiss onto her head. “I like how you smell.”

His breath stirred her hair, and her skin tingled where the warmth lingered. It was all she could do not to turn and wrap her arms around his neck. She curled her fingers into her palms and prayed for strength.

His fingers ran along the curve of her jaw and lingered at her earlobe. She shivered, a delicious sensation that stretched to her toes. His fingers trailed down to her chin and tilted her face up to meet his. When his lips found hers, she sank into his embrace.

Her heart hammered against her ribs and drowned out the warnings her mind tried to throw out.

She loved Simon. It was too late. She was lost—in over her head. And if the emotion in his kiss was any indication, he felt the same way.

He raised his head and smiled shakily as the coach stopped. Neon lights from the restaurant shone through the windows. “Let’s go to dinner before I forget why we came.”

“Good idea,” she quavered.

He stood and helped her to her feet. His hand at her
waist felt like the softest touch of velvet, yet she knew he was tough and strong and protective.

All through dinner they stared into one another’s eyes, and neither had much to say. Wynne knew the ground had shifted under her feet, and she could only hope Simon felt the same way.